Today's Sports

(Editor’s note: West Brunswick plays Hoggard on Friday, Aug. 12, in the final of five scrimmages in the BB&T Football Jamboree at Legion Stadium in Wilmington. Each scrimmage is two 12-minute periods.)

By Michael Paul

SHALLOTTE — The West Brunswick High School football team finished 5-7 in 2015, 2-4 in the conference. The Trojans lost five of their last six games in coach Kelly Williamson’s first year at West.

Fishing off the Brunswick County coast was difficult last week. As I stated in my column last week, a combination of wind, scarcity of baitfish and high water temperatures have directly influenced how and when fish feed off our coast. And to put this problem in its simplest form, it’s too dang hot.

Since 2011, the NFF has worked with Rogers Redding, the national coordinator of College Football Officiating, to help generate awareness for the rule changes in college football through a series of regular columns distributed by the NFF. The CFO functions as the national professional organization for all football officials who work games at the collegiate level, and the organization had its annual winter meeting of conference coordinators for football officials in late January for the fourth consecutive year at the NFF headquarters in Irving, Texas.

This time of year can really hurt fishermen’s feelings if they’re not careful. The seas are churned, the baitfish are scarce and the stifling temperatures don’t help, either. This is, in my opinion, one of the toughest times to fish off our coast.

The fishing world around Ocean Isle Beach exploded this week with reports of big monster fish being caught. I had high expectations with a full moon and special clients coming in from West Virginia. Capt. Brant McMullan, Capt. Barrett McMullan and a unique crew of young children ventured 92 nautical miles offshore in search of a swordfish early last week. The crew was successful in landing a 245-pound swordfish, causing other anglers to ponder the idea to try out this fishery.